What is the difference between builder-grade, quality-grade, and high-end building products?

The terms “builder-grade”, “quality-grade”, and “high-end” are thrown around quite a bit when building products are being discussed. What do these terms mean, and what are the differences between them?

As you may have suspected, “builder grade” is the term the building industry uses for lower quality products, high-end describes the highest cost (and quality) items, and quality grade describes products that are somewhere between the two in both cost and quality.

This explanation seems to make sense, but what does this actually mean in terms of product specifications and use? What are the differences between these classes of products?

What are builder-grade products?

To put it simply, builder-grade products are what get used when the budget is tight and function is more important than beauty and longevity. These are the products that most production builders are using in “cookie-cutter” homes. The goal of this type of home is to be as inexpensive as possible, so as to be affordable to a larger number of people. Compromises must be made on the quality of the products used, in order to keep costs down.

Builder-grade products are best described as most of the products you will find in the big box home improvement stores: particleboard cabinets, laminate countertops, carpet or sheet vinyl flooring, MDF trim, etc. Builder-grade products are great when you have a problem that needs to be solved, but a large investment doesn’t make a lot of sense financially. These lower-cost products will provide the function you need without dipping into your wallet farther than necessary.

What are high-end products?

High-end products are what get used when beauty and quality are paramount. High-end products are the best of what the building product industry has to offer: hand-made solid wood cabinets, marble countertops, exotic wood floors, air tubs, faux finishes, etc. High-end products are what people use when they want to treat themselves to an incredibly beautiful space with the best products and finishes available.

What are quality-grade products?

Quality-grade products try to strike a balance between builder-grade and high-end products. The goal of quality-grade products is to create a beautiful, functional space with high-quality products, while also keeping costs down as much as possible. Quality-grade products seek to provide the beauty and quality of high-end products, but at a more reasonable cost. 

Quality-grade products are things like: factory-made plywood cabinets, quartz countertops, porcelain tile flooring, or solid pine trim. These products (arguably) provide the most bang for a homeowners buck. They are considerably more durable (and beautiful) than builder-grade products, without the cost associated with high-end products. These products will often need to be purchased at independent lumberyards,  supply houses, or distributors. Big box stores don’t generally have a large selection of these products.

Depending on your area, most contractors are going to be using quality-grade products for your build, unless you specify otherwise. This is because most homeowners (and contractors) find quality-grade products to be the best balance between quality, beauty, and price. So, it has become the default standard for most professional contractors.

A common mistake we see homeowners make is assuming that the products they see in big box stores are quality-grade. Unfortunately, few of them are. Most of the products on the box store shelves are builder-grade. 

When homeowners desire high-quality products but choose products from box stores, they are often disappointed by the performance of these products. They might also be disappointed by the prices they receive from contractors who are providing quality-grade products, if they are expecting these products to have similar prices to the builder-grade products they see in the box stores. 

What grade of building materials should I use?

The grade of product that will be best for you in your project ultimately depends on your wants, needs, and desires. Builder-grade products can be a great way to keep costs down, but this low cost comes at the expense of quality. High-end products are a real treat to have in your home, but they require a very large investment. Quality-grade products often strike a nice balance between quality and cost. 

The thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong answer, the decision of which grade of products to use will be a little different for everyone, based on the wants, needs, and desires they have for their home.